This logfile is imported from aitelogs2 and may contain errors or wrong timestamps.
#Miner'sRespite – July 30, 2017
It's evening on the 19th of November. Jessica has left for her shift at the dam not long ago, and Yan Sun finds herself alone at her preferred booth, near the stairs. It's cold as ever outside, and some of the winter's chill inevitably seeps through the nearby window, prompting her to wear her grey hoodie, hood pulled up as she sits with legs stretched out across the seat. She's brought her holo-emitter with her, and it's
projecting a semi-transparent blue screen. Anyone that gave her more than a passing glance would notice that she's not actually reading from the screen, her interest having shifted some time ago. Rather it's little more than a cover for people-watching. SHe's studying the various patrons of the Respite. Loud miners and other locals that have long-since settled in for an evening of drinking after a hard day's work, a booth of
batarians discussing a deal in whispered tones, a handful of travels and new arrivals, both human and alien, and even a lone quarian, no doubt from the spaceport enclave.
Leah is at the counter. At some point during her shift she managed to pull herself away from chatting up the regulars for long enough to slip into her hardsuit. But now she's right back at the counter, leaning heavily against it as she cheerfully chats the ear off of one of the local miners. The small-framed blonde certainly wouldn't strike anyone as the most intimidating security. Especially with the bright, wide smile that
seems to be permanently etched into her face as she chit chats. But she's managed to plant herself among the customers in a way that Steve never could. Where he would spend most of his time out of sight, keeping watch from the monitors in the back, she's always out-and-about. Making conversations.
Yan Sun glances over at the empty plate on her table - another meal stolen at last minute by a Jessica that hadn't prepared for work - and then over to the counter. She wings her legs off the seat and scoots out of the booth, making her way over to the side of the bar where Leah is standing. She remains quiet for the moment, listening in on the conversation rather than interrupting.
Leah gives a shrug of her shoulders, one elbow against the counter as she props up her chin with her hand. "I keep telling him he should come down here and meet some people, but he'd rather just sit at home all day and watch TV." she sighs, scrunching up her nose in a frown, "He's just old and stubborn." As she spots Yan Sun join by the bar, her attention swings her way and her smile returns. "Oh, hey!" she greets. "Did you
need me to-..." she cocks a thumb over her shoulder towards the kitchen as she stands up straight, "...put in another order for you or anything?"
Yan Sun leans her arms against the bar counter, studying some of the bottles on the shelves behind Leah, many of them with contents she's never even heard of. Her attention snaps back when she's addressed and she nods with a half-smile. "Uh, yeah, I was just wondering if the kitchen's still open actually... passing vacuum ate my sandwich."
Leah's smile widens at the mention of her lost sandwich and she gives a nod, her ponytail bouncing just behind her head. "Replacement sandwich?" she asks as she begins to back towards the kitchen door, "Same as before?"
Yan Sun nods again, looking a little surprised since she was fairly certain she'd be too late to make an order. "Yeah, same thing." she says before shooting a quick glance sideways at the miner Leah was talking to.
Leah gives one last nod and glances towards the menu briefly to reassure herself of the previous order. "Coming right up!" she says cheerfully before backing through the door behind her. The miner Leah was speaking to is a man who looks to be in his late-40s, maybe early-50s. He's cradling a beer in his hands and looking to the screen mounted near the bar. He's a face Yan Sun has probably seen around a few times. Maybe even
caught his name. Jonathan something-or-other. He looks tired. Exhausted, even. It's not long before Leah reappears through the doorway, nose scrunched up as she gives an apologetic tilt of her head. "Sorry, they juuuuuust started turning everything off back there." she says.
Yan Sun nods with a slightly dismayed expression. "Yeahhh... figured I might be too late." she says with a sigh. "Thanks for trying." She slides onto the nearest barstool, taking a quick look around the bar. "Got any snacks or something?"
Leah gives a shrug of her shoulders as she glances about at something below her side of the counter. She takes a few steps to her left and crouches down low for a moment. When she stands back up, she sets a small bag of potato chips on the counter in front of Yan Sun, once again giving an apologetic tilt of her head. "Sorry.... That's pretty much the best I can do with the kitchen closed." she offers.
Yan Sun smirks slightly and offers a slight shrug of her own. "Hey, better than nothing." she says, wasting little time in tearing it open. She furrows her eyebrows as she studies Leah. "I thought I'd seen you in armor before. Back when that asari attacked? So... you're security?"
Leah gives a glance down at her hardsuit before giving a slight nod. "Sure am." she says confidently. "With Redrock, actually." She returns to her previous position, leaning against the counter opposite of Yan Sun. "Soooo I guess I kinda work with little-miss-grumpy-pants." she continues, giving a glance over to the booth where Yan Sun and Jessica were sitting with a snicker. "Oh! Not that-..." she winces and shakes her head
a bunch of times, worried that her statement may be misconstrued as a meanspirited insult, "...I have anything against her. I mean I've barely even spoken to her! I just mean I've heard things and-..." she sighs, realizing that may be misconstrued as an insult. She forces a big smile, because smiles cure everything, "She seems nice." she decides on.
Yan Sun lets out an amused snort, raising an eyebrow as she waits for Leah to finish her ramble. "Jessica can be a little... rough around the edges? But she's great." she says before stuffing some chips in her mouth. "Don't think she's gonna be staying at Redrock long though. No offense, but... you seem to have a lot of asshole co-workers."
Leah looks relieved when it seems as though Yan Sun didn't take it personally. Though when she passes her comment about Leah's co-workers, a slight frown tugs at her lips. After everything Redrock has done for her, it would be difficult for her to not take it personally. "They're a good bunch. Most of them, at least." she says with a shrug, "Which is more than I can say about most people in this field."
Yan Sun winces slightly as she catches Leah's expression. "I'll take your word for it. Just... had some unpleasant encounters." she says in an attempt at explaining herself. She looks off to the side, shifting slightly before turning back to Leah. "I don't wanna pry, but... I was just wondering... you're..." she gestures towards her own head with her left hand. "...I saw the-..." she furrows her eyebrows and taps two fingers
Leah seems a bit taken aback by the question. Her discomfort shows through in her expression as she reaches back to touch the tip of her fingers against the implant instinctually. She gives a brief glance around, the way one would if something embarassing had just been revealed about them in public. Not that she goes out of her way to hide the fact that she's a biotic- it's easy enough to see given the right angle- it's just
not something many people call attention to. Not unless they've got something to say about it, which was usually a bad sign. "Umm... Yeah." she says with a nod, trying her best to hide her discomfort. She shifts a bit so she can plant both forearms against the counter and lean against them, "Don't worry, it's not contagious." she says, forcing her wide smile back into place to make sure it's not misinterpreted as a hostile
Yan Sun blinks, frowning a little as Leah's discomfort doesn't go entirely unnoticed. "Wh-... I know it's not con-... sorry, I was just-... I've never really met a biotic before. I mean, I've met asari, but-... it's not the same, they're different in a lot of ways, you're human, and I was just-... just curious." Her frown only deepens as she goes over what she just said in her head. "...aaaaand I'm coming off real obnoxious
right now, aren't I?" she says with a defeated expression, blowing air out of the corner of her mouth.
Leah's discomfort only fades slightly as Yan Sun stammers over her words. She's about to respond when the man to Yan Sun's side slides his now-empty glass back across the counter to Leah. "See you tomorrow, Leah?" he asks as he squares up his bill and rises from his stool. Leah stands up straight and gives him a friendly smile and a nod as she collects his glass and sets it near the sink, "Yep, yep. Take care, Jon." She runs a
little water over the glass before returning to Yan Sun. "Sorry." she offers for the temporary distraction. "But no-..." she says, her ponytail shifting from side to side as she shakes her head, "..You're-... You're fine. Really." She forces a smile to punctuate the point that she's not offended by Yan Sun's curiosity. Sure, it's uncomfortable. It's never fun to be the object of other people's 'curiosities'. But she has
no reason to believe Yan Sun's interest is bad-natured. "Trust me, I've seen my fair share of obnoxious. But you're-..." she gives a nod of her head before reiterating her earlier point, "...You're fine."
Yan Sun bounces the bag of chips idly between her thumb and the rest of her fingers as she listens to Leah. "Sorry. I've heard people can be... well, assholes, about it. I just... what's it like? I mean..." she lets out a slightly nervous chuckle. "...you have freaking superpowers."
Leah allows a short snicker to escape at Yan Sun's excitement. It causes a more genuine smile to replace the current expression on her face, but she gives a humble, somewhat embarassed shrug. "I don't know how to explain it." she says as she shifts into a more comfortable position now that she can be a bit more confident that Yan Sun isn't just trying to lead into some casual prejudiced opinion. "I guess-... I guess it
just-..." she sighs and rolls her eyes at her own inability to put it into words. "You know how sometimes you're sitting there and you've just got a lot of built up energy? And you don't even realize that your leg has been bouncing around until you look at it? I guess it kinda feels like that. When I'm here and I'm-... I'm talking to you..." she says, giving the first example that comes to mind with a shrug, "...I barely
even notice it. But when I stop. Focus." She sucks in an exaggerated deep breath and closes her eyes, falling silent for a moment. A slight, nearly invisible blue tint begins to envelope her. She slowly nods her head and opens her eyes once again, a small smile returning as a chip slowly floats from Yan Sun's bag and Leah plucks it out of the air. "It's like-... like every molecule in my body is just vibrating." she says
Yan Sun seems absolutely transfixed as she notices the faint aura of biotic energy surrounding Leah. As the floating potato chip comes into view she almost jumps off the stool, but she manages to suppress the initial reaction, staring in fascination with a big grin on her face. "敗家了-wow... that... is really, really cool..." she says with a small shake of her head, another quiet chuckle mixing with her words. "I just don't-...
I've seen the tech that goes into doing something like that without biotics... must be crazy to just... be born with the ability do things like that."
Leah sweeps a strand of hair back behind her hair as she considers Yan Sun's words. "I guess..." she says softly. It reflected the opinion her parents often expressed: Her biotics are a gift- not a curse- even if the rest of humanity couldn't see it that way. Something to be proud of, not something to hide away in shame. It wasn't exactly easy to always see their point of view. Not when she spent most of her life being valued
as little more than a weapon. Not when shady organizations were trying to control her. Turn her against her friends. "If you want, I'm more than happy to trade." she offers with another snicker. Of course she didn't mean it. It would be cruel to force her 'gift' onto someone else.
Yan Sun furrows her eyebrows, the obvious implication not lost on her. She tilts her head slightly, reaching blindly for a chip while studying Leah. "You... catch a lot of shit over it...?" she asks carefully.
Leah nods slowly. "That's one way to put it..." she admits, "...But I can throw it back twice as hard, so..." She's quick to wave it off dismissively to let it be known that it doesn't get to her too much. Maybe not the truth, but it's what's expected from her. "People are just-... It's not their fault." she explains, "They're afraid of things they don't understand."
Yan Sun nods, looking out across the bar briefly. "Hmh... yeah. Leaving Earth has been kind of an eyeopener." she says as she turns back to Leah. "I don't know where you're from, I-... I've heard a lot of biotics are colonial. But... so many people back home are just... completely clueless about everything that's out here. I mean-... it's become pretty clear I don't know as much as I thought I did, either... everything here
Leah gives a nod as she rests her arms against the counter once again. "Earth here, too" she says with a raise of her hand as she states her home. Though, given her upbringing and all of the moving she did, calling anywhere 'home' feels a bit disingenuous. "But-... It's been a while since I've been back." Rarely comfortable with sharing personal details about herself, she quickly turns the attention Yan Sun's way. "So what
brought you all the way out here?" Her eyes widen as she leans in and lowers her voice to a whisper, "Are you on the run!? Did you kill somebody!?" she teases.
Yan Sun lets out an amused snort. "Just... looking for a fresh start, I guess. Not exactly original, I know..." she pops a chip into her mouth, thinking for a moment as she crunches on it. "Didn't really mean to end up here specifically, buuut then I met Jessica, and, well, yeah. Aite is... an interesting planet, though. Feel like I haven't really explored it as much as I should've. Been busy just adjusting I guess. Not sure
Leah gives a brief shrug, kicking the toe of her boot against the floor absently. "I think-..." she pauses, her gaze moving upward as she stops to consider her words, "...It's a good idea to get out there. See what the galaxy has to offer. Figure out where you belong, you know?"
Yan Sun smirks slightly. "Yeah, that was the plan. Still is, really. Jessica and I are leaving when we can afford to. I-..." she stops before the next sentence as Tara exits through the kitchen door, remaining silent with her hands overlapping in front of her, but her expression makes it clear that she's waiting to speak with her. Yan Sun makes a slight nod Tara's way, not wanting to make her wait for Leah's attention.
Leah uses the counter to push herself upright and rotates in the indicated direction. "Hey you." she greets with a raise of her eyebrows, "All done?"
Leah leans back, gripping the edges of the counter behind her with her hands. "Did you want me to call Jasper to give you a ride home or were you gonna hang out here while I finish up my shift...?" she asks, purposely putting the decision in Tara's hands as she tends to do.
Tara lowers her gaze for a moment. It still doesn't come quite naturally to her to make even minor decisions like this without prompting. "I'll stay." she says with another nod after a moment's thought.
Yan Sun shifts slightly on the barstool, studying Tara in silence, gaze inevitably lingering for a moment on the brand on her forehead, and the many scars that cover her skin.
Leah's smile grows and she gives a single nod. She turns back to the counter and crouches down, retrieving another bag of chips that she places on the counter in front of Jonathan's now-vacant stool. "Chips?" she asks with a glance back Tara's way.
Tara gains a subtle hint of a grin as she moves over to the bag of chips. She makes an attempt at opening the bag, but ends up wincing and cradling one hand in the other. She still has a barely visible coat of medigel covering the palms of her hands, protecting the cuts she suffered not long ago.
Leah winces, a guilty look crossing her face as she reaches out for the chips. "Sorry..." she says softly as she pinches the bag open and sets it down on the counter. She reaches out gently for Tara's arms and attempts to take a look at the cuts on her hands. "Any better...?" she asks.
Tara allows Leah to reorient her hand so that the palm can be clearly seen. The cuts are largely obscured by the medigel, but it's begun to wear off in some spots, no doubt from her work in the kitchen, exposing cuts that are still very early in their healing process. "It... still hurts." she admits.
Yan Sun frowns from over on the other side of the bar, but remains silent, not wanting to interrupt.
Leah's frown persists as she examines the cuts for a moment longer before releasing Tara's hands. She brings her left hand up and swipes at the holographic interface that's projected from it. After a moment, a small compartment along the abdomen of her hardsuit clicks open, nary a seam a moment earlier, and she fishes a small medi-gel cannister from it and sets it on the counter. "Here." she offers before swiping one last time
at her omni-tool causing both the interface to dissipate and the compartment to snap shut. "Gotta make sure you keep those clean, alright?" she asks with a hint of concern in her tone.
Tara is quick to nod. "Yes, ma-... yes, Leah." she says, taking the canister. It takes her a moment, but fairly soon she figures out how apply a fresh coat of medi-gel to her palms. It's unlikely to be as good of a job as an application by someone with first aid training, and when done properly the old layer should be removed first, but it'll do for the time being. "Thank you." she says, a small smile spreading across her face
Leah retakes her position against the counter and gives another glance Tara's way. She reaches out, tapping the counter beside where she set the chips. "Have a seat. Relax. I've still got a few hours before my shift is over." she says. "And if you decide you want to head home just let me know, alright? Jasper won't mind giving you a ride home."
Tara nods slightly, moving around the counter to take a seat next to Yan Sun. She gives her a quick glance before turning her attention to the bag of chips, carefully picking one out and eating it in silence.
Tara blinks, looking over at Yan Sun. "Hello." she offers after a moment's hesitation, the unintentionally disrespectful gesture not fazing her as she offers a respectful tilt of her own in return.
Tara looks to Leah as well, as if uncertain why Yan Sun is talking to her. It's clear she's not quite sure how to respond, but eventually she offers "Tara."
Leah's unable to suppress the big grin crossing her face as she watches Tara engage with Yan Sun on her own. "Yan Sun is from Earth, too." she offers to Tara, hoping to help spark the conversation. "Like me."
Tara furrows her eyebrows. "Oh." she says, before going quiet, eating a chip in a silence that, to her, doesn't seem the least uncomfortable.
Yan Sun seems a little puzzled by Tara's behavior, but smirks slightly. "You're... not from Earth? Honestly, I kind of figured you two for sisters... where are you from?"
Tara looks back at Yan Sun, frowning slightly. Her gaze briefly darts off to Leah. "House Bar'adon." she says, keeping her gaze low as she responds.
Leah smirks at Yan Sun's comment. When Tara speaks up, however, she clears her throat loudly, clearly flustered by the response. She glances around the Respite instinctively to make sure the comment went mostly unnoticed before looking back to Yan Sun. "She doesn't know where she's from..." she corrects with a sigh, realizing Tara has probably already said too much. "It's-..." she gives a shake of her head, "..a long story. For
what it's worth? She is my sister." she offers, passing a sympathetic glance Tara's way as she reaches out to gently pat the back of her hand.
Yan Sun looks briefly confused, furrowing her eyebrows as several thoughts run through her head. Her gaze snaps back to Tara as she starts to put the pieces together. With a blink, her left eye lights up, darting just slightly left and right for a couple of seconds before she lowers her gaze. "I'm-... I'm so sorry-... I didn't realize..."
Leah however, is not unbothered. She furrows her brow as she looks to Yan Sun. When it becomes clear that Yan Sun at least has an understanding of the situation, she sucks in a deep breath. "Just-... don't repeat any of that, okay?" she pleads. "It could-... It-..." she stammers before sighing, "...Please." With a glance back at Tara, she frowns. "And that goes double for you!" she says, "You can't just-..." she trails off,
not wanting to yell at the poor girl. It's concern, not anger. She gently rubs at the back of Tara's hand before forcing a small smile back into place. "We have to be careful, okay Tara?"
Yan Sun 's frown deepens, but she nods when Leah addresses her. "I-... yeah. Yeah, sure. Of course. I-... you know about the-...?" She angles her left palm upward, and a pulse of light runs down the cybernetics on her neck, disappearing underneath the hoodie only to reappear at her hand as the omni-tool holoprojector activates, displaying a small window with the bounty on Tara, angled towards Leah.
Leah's eyes go wide and a pang of panic shoots through her as her gaze darts around to make sure nobody else is eavesdropping on their conversation. "Yes! Yes, I know!" she says in hushed tones as she reaches out and gently attempts to lower Yan Sun's hand. "I know!" she repeats, "I-... We are working on it. It just-..." she gives an exhausted sigh and a shake of her head, "...I have no idea what I'm doing." she admits.
Yan Sun quickly closes her hand as Leah's apparent panic, causing the hologram to disappear. Her frown returns at the admission, and she shoots a quick glance to Tara. "糟糕... sorry. I couldn't tell you. But... you should know that was very easy to find. The mark, it's-..." Her tone is compassionate, but it's clear she doesn't really have much in the way of help to offer.
Leah's frown only deepens as she looks back to Tara. "We're going to get the markings removed." she says to Yan Sun as she holds Tara's gaze. It's clear that she's hoping for the support of Tara. An agreement. Some sign that Tara is on board. "It just-... She's dealing with a lot right now..."
Yan Sun nods slightly, her words catching slightly in her throat. "I-... I can't imagine." she says, looking at Tara. Her gaze goes between the two of them and she shifts her weight partly off of her barstool. "Looks like maybe you guys need to talk. I don't wanna keep you. I'll head back to my booth, she says with a nod in its direction before grabbing her bag of chips.
Leah bites her lower lip as she looks to Yan Sun, managing only a small nod as she watches her return to her booth. It's not that she doesn't trust Yan Sun- she has always seemed nice enough- but she doesn't exactly know her very well, either. What's to say she isn't about to go and send a message to House Bar'adon? Once Yan Sun has departed, she turns her attention to Tara. She moves her hand to gently grasp Tara's and give it
a soft squeeze, careful to avoid putting any pressure on her wounds. "You see, Tara? I know none of this can be easy, but we have to do something about those markings. You-... you know that, right?" she asks, searching the young girl's face for any sign that she understands the severity of the situation.
Tara meets Leah's gaze once more when her hand is grabbed, a slight frown etched into her scarred face. She remains silent at first, her troubled look only growing. "We're not allowed to do that..." she finally says quietly, looking down.
Leah snorts. A sad, pained snort as her face contorts to a look of sympathy. Just hearing it pained her and caused her to bite back on tears beginning to well in her eyes. She reaches out with her other hand and presses it to Tara's chin, lifting the young woman's sightline to meet her own. "Sweetie... You're allowed to do whatever you want. Understand? They don't own you. Not anymore. Not ever again. Okay?" she asks, her
Tara doesn't answer right away, but after a few silent blinks she nods hesitantly, the doubt still clear in her face.
Leah frowns, giving an exaggerated shake of her head that causes her ponytail to bounce uncontrollably. "Tara-... Sweetheart, you have to decide right now that this is what you want, okay? That you want to be free. That you want a life of your own. I don't-..." she sighs, frustrated over the whole situation. Not at Tara, of course, moreso that they live in a galaxy that would even put Tara in this position in the first
Tara frowns, clearly thinking on what Leah is saying. "I-... I want to be here." she says. It's not quite an answer to Leah's question, but it's the closest she can manage.
Leah removes her hand from Tara's chin, but keeps hold of her hand as she gives a nod. "Then we have to remove your markings, Tara. If we don't-..." she casts a glance Yan Sun's way briefly, thinking on just how easy it was for her to come up with the information on Tara, "...It's only a matter of time before they come for you. For me. And then what?" She returns to chewing on her lip as she falls silent, giving Tara a moment
Tara looks down at her hands, clutching the bag of chips. She remains silent for a moment or two before nodding with a meek "Okay..."
Leah studies Tara in silence for a moment. It's not exactly the enthusastic response she was hoping for, but it has to do for now. She leans across the counter, having to stand on her tippy-toes to do so, and presses a quick peck on the top of Tara's head. "I'm always gonna be here for you, okay?" she whispers to the girl, pressing her own forehead against the top of Tara's head briefly before settling back onto her heels.